Martina Gardeva (Bulgaria)

I am Martina Gardeva from Bulgaria studying MSc Tourism Management and Marketing. Bournemouth is a tourist town and has a very well-developed public transportation infrastructure. However, sometimes taking the right bus can be tricky. Here are my best tips for moving around the area.

Bus your way around town 

There are three types of buses running around Bournemouth and the surrounding areas – the Uni Bus, More Bus, and Yellow Bus. Although each bus company can take you to approximately the same areas, each has its own routes and rates.

Uni Buses (U1-U5) are usually pink or purple and are your best and fastest way to travel between Lansdowne and Talbot campus. The U4 takes you to Bournemouth Town square. Uni Buses run about every ten to fifteen minutes. However, you can only use most of them on weekdays and during the academic terms.

More Buses (the blue ones) are another useful option. You can take the 17 from Talbot campus to the Bournemouth Coach and Railway stations, as well as the town center. The best part? They operate on the weekends too! Always check the schedule in advance – on Saturdays and Sundays the buses run between every thirty minutes to an hour. If you choose a bus pass with your student accommodation, it lasts for a year and includes the More Buses and the Uni Buses!

Hopping on the Yellow Bus U6 takes you from Talbot campus through the Coach Station and then on to Bournemouth Town Square and Boscombe. Typically, they run all week long about every ten to fifteen minutes.

The standard student fare for the Uni and More Bus is £1.50 one-way or £2.50 round-trip, while a ticket for the Yellow Bus is £2.60 round-trip. A good option here is to buy the Key Card (it’s free and you get it delivered to the campus), which is valid for the Uni and More Buses and you can top-up the card online. Some of the companies also have monthly passes at around £45-£50 that you can buy if you travel more frequently.

Affordable travel 

Using the National Express network of coaches to move around Bournemouth is probably your best and cheapest way. There are buses to London almost every hour and if you buy your ticket in advance, it can cost you only £12 both ways to get to the Victoria Coach Station.

You can also travel to almost every other part of the country (and some parts of Europe like Paris or Amsterdam) for a fair price. Or, if you want something more local, hop the coach to explore the nearest cities like Southampton, Portsmouth, or Brighton. The company has a coach card for students which costs £10 and gives you discounts on all routes for an entire year. A bargain, isn’t it?

Get there faster! 

Trains are your other option for travelling out of Bournemouth. They are usually faster than the coaches, but also more expensive. However, you get more space, better seats, and you can use a small table to work on your assignments or watch a nice movie during your journey. They also have a rail card which costs £30 a year and you get discounts for 2nd class. Remember, that with the trains, the earlier you buy tickets the cheaper it is!

No matter which transport you decide to use, the drivers are very friendly and will always help you out so don’t worry about anything and just start exploring!

By Martina Gardeva, Bulgaria, MSc Tourism Management and Marketing, 2017/18